Eyelid surgery (also known as blepharoplasty) can truly provide a complete makeover to the eyes, helping them look more awake and refreshed. Anyone, regardless of their age, can see eye bags or droopy eyelids. Dr. Mulholland answers a few questions related to their upper and lower eyelids. See if you’ve got similar concerns or questions in mind—hopefully these answers can help you decide on the next steps you’d like to take.
As we age, our skin loses its elasticity and firmness. We also lose fat and volume support around the brows and cheeks. This all leads to droopy eyelids or eye bags. While these concerns are usually seen in people who are older than 40, that doesn’t mean someone who’s younger doesn’t have the same issues.
Blepharoplasty (aka eyelid surgery) is one of the top most performed procedures in the world. This
procedure that often takes an hour to perform can make a major difference in
the appearance of patients. Someone might be interested in blepharoplasty for a
couple of reasons: the surgery can remove heavy eyebags, improve droopy lids or
provide a visible crease in the lids.
Blepharoplasty Removes Eye Bags
Nobody likes to look tired. Having
heavy, protruding eye bags would certainly be the way to look exhausted every
day. How does a person get eye bags in the first place? Permanent eye bags could be related to
getting older or genetics. Other factors that lead to eye bags include:
Stress
Not enough sleep
Dehydration
A diet that contains high sodium intake
When your face loses fat volume,
the eye bags stand out more because they’re not adjusting as your face shrinks.
That’s because eye bags areactually
pockets of fat that don’t shrink or enlarge when your face goes through changes
related to aging.
Source: SpaMedica. This patient had blepharoplasty at SpaMedica to improve the appearance of her upper eyelids.
Upper Eyelid Surgery Improves Heavy Eyelids
It’snot just underneath the
eyes that could make someone look sleepy or tired. Having heavy lids does the
same thing too as it makes the eyes look more closed. Upper eyelid surgery can
do a number of things like deepening the eyelid crease. Or, excessive skin
tissue can be removed. This improves your overall appearance and benefits
vision as well if that’s an issue. This procedure can correct upper eyelid
droopiness (also known as ptosis).
When having blepharoplasty performed on your
upper lids, your plastic surgeon will make an incision where a natural crease
would appear and remove any excess fat and skin.
Double Eyelid Surgery Provides Definition to Lids
Double eyelid surgery helps to
define the upper eyelid. This procedure is often performed on Asians—that’s not
to say that non-Asian people don’t have it done too—but it’s a popular procedure
in Korea and Japan. Double eyelid surgery helps to create
definition that suits the rest of a person’s facial features. It can help make eyes look wider and bigger.
Source: YouTube screenshots. Tyra Banks said this Asian woman had double eyelid surgery to look more Caucasian.
People often say that the surgery
is simply a way of achieving a westernized look, but that isn’t the case. After
all, plenty of Asian people have natural double eyelids. Back in 2008 on her
talk show, Tyra Banks had a Korean-American woman named Liz on her show to talk
about her double eyelid surgery. Even though Liz said she wanted the surgery to
correct her droopy and tired eyes, Tyra insisted that she must have done the
surgery to “look more Caucasian.” No doubt, this segment of the episode caused
a lot of uproar and controversy because of Tyra’s assumptions and her
interjectory opinions.
How Long do Eyelid Surgery Results Last?
Eyelid surgery results can last
for several years—anywhere from 10-15 years. For some patients, having a second
blepharoplasty isn’t ideal. That’s because if too much skin is removed, they
won’t be able to close their eyes. Instead, a brow lift should be performed
when the patient ages and sees that their brow is dropping (which causes the
appearance of excess skin on the upper eyelid again).
Get More Information on the Procedure
Take a look at before and after
photos of past blepharoplasty patients at SpaMedica. Find out more information
on the procedure on our blepharoplasty page. We’re here to answer any questions
you might have, so don’t hesitate to leave a comment or call us!
Does this image look familiar to you? It probably does. The Dove
Campaign for Real beauty which was launched in 2004 is meant to challenge
limited notions of what beauty means and empower women of all ages, colours and
sizes. Sure, this social movement for women is important for discussion on body
image and perceptions—but what about men? Do they even have body image issues? Do they even get plastic surgery?
Of course they do. We just don’t talk about it very much.
By
focusing on female bodies so intensely, men and body image issues are easily
overlooked. There’s insane pressure for women to look a certain way, and some
men feel this pressure to a certain degree as well. The standard created by
society for men is to be at least six feet tall and muscular but lean—which
pretty much describes Ryan Gosling. As a woman, even I know that’s unfair.
However, not all women would agree with this ideal.
The study below reveals that men think women like a muscular body when they actually prefer an ordinary body.
Men and
Women Don’t Agree on the Ideal Physique of a Man
According
to the study “Body Image Perception Among Men in Three Countries”, the authors
found that men in their 20s in Europe and the U.S desired a body that was about
28 pounds more muscular than themselves. They also assumed women preferred a
male body about 30 pounds more muscular than themselves.
Fascinated
by these results, the authors presented images of male bodies to 43 college
women in Austria. They asked them to choose which body they preferred. Instead
of picking a muscular body, they chose average-looking bodies. As noted by the
authors, the men think women like a certain body type when they actually prefer
an ordinary body.
Men and
Body Image Disorders
Men aren’t immune to body image disorders. Muscle dysmorphia is
a disorder in which a person worries about looking too frail or weak. Even if
they are already muscular, they constantly fear they look too weak and
compulsively exercise. This disorder can interfere with a person’s job,
studies, friendships and relationships as they obsessively worry about what
others think of their “small” bodies.
Source: bodybuilding.com
In another study, 24
men with muscle dysmorphia answered questions related to their habits and
behaviour. Half of them said they spent more than three hours a day thinking
about their muscularity. One man said he missed his high school reunion because
he was afraid people would mock his “smallness.”
Men Demand Cosmetic Procedures Now More Than Ever
More men are willing to change their looks through cosmetic
procedures now. For the longest time, it was generally assumed that men don’t
feel compelled to get plastic surgery like women do. That’s not the case now. Since
2010, there have been dramatic increases in these procedures for men:
blepharoplasty, male breast reduction and facelifts. Since ASAPS started collecting statistical data in 1997, they’ve seen a 273% increase in
the number of procedures performed on men.
While we don’t talk about men and body image as often as we
should, it doesn’t mean it isn’t a problem. The lack of attention on this topic
indicates that we as a society don’t see this problem significant—yet. Who
knows, maybe there will be a campaign for men and masculinity in the future? It
may be a stretch but it would certainly be refreshing to see.
When it comes to beauty and looks, women are normally pinpointed
as the ones most occupied or concerned by it. But they’re not the only people
who spend time and money on their appearance. Increasingly more so, it’s men in
their 40s and 50s who are shelling out cash to stop their signs of ageing.
However, not everyone agrees with men getting plastic surgery. Male celebrities
like Liam Neeson and George Clooney have made public statements about their
reluctance of ever getting plastic surgery. Clooney shared his thoughts on men
dyeing their hair and getting plastic surgery in a BBC interview:
Source: Popsugar.com. George Clooney shares his opinions on men and plastic surgery.
I’ve seen it happen—particularly
on men—I don’t think it really works; I think it actually makes you look older.
I’m a big believer in the idea that you can’t try to look younger. You just
have to look the best you can at the age you are.
Neeson was later quoted in the Daily Mail saying “Ageing
should be done gracefully. I agree with George that the best way to grow older
is not to get any work done to your face.”
Let’s not forget these guys are major celebrities though—they’ve
made a good living and should be well off if for some reason they never landed
another movie role. That’s not quite the case for regular folks. There’s
pressure to look young or attractive in the workforce. That’s one of the main reasons why older men
get treatments like Botox; they want to look youthful to compete with
colleagues who are decades younger.
According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the number of men getting surgical and non-surgical treatments in 2014
went up by 43% compared to the previous year. To put that further in
prospective, the number of procedures performed on men has increased by 273% since ASAPS began collecting statistical data in
1997.
Men in upper management positions make up most of the male clients at SpaMedica.
Dr. Mulholland, a Toronto plastic surgeon, says most of the
male clients he sees are in upper management or senior positions at work. He
says that men are subject to ageism, as women have been for so long. “These men
are seeing signs of ageing that make them look tired, which projects lack of
confidence or lack of ability to negotiate in the boardroom,” says Dr.
Mulholland. To top it off, younger male colleagues “nip at their heels” and are
more than ready to climb the work ladder.
Another big reason why older men seek treatments is that
they want to attract younger women. Men in their 60s who are freshly divorced
find themselves back in the dating market. Dr. Mulholland says these men tend
to gravitate to women in their 30s or 40s. That alone is enough to push men to
look into cosmetic treatments.
Most men tend to avoid surgical procedures—the most popular
non-surgical treatment for men at SpaMedica is Botox. Laser treatments to
smoothen wrinkles and skin are also popular. ASAPS reports that blepharoplasty, male breast reduction and
facelifts have increased dramatically over the past 5 years for men, though.
So let’s cut the ladies some slack. Men are increasingly
preoccupied with their looks and it’s mainly for work or romantic opportunities.
Dr. Mulholland makes many media appearances throughout the
year to talk about the latest trends and news on cosmetic plastic surgery. He recently
was live on air with Newstalk 1010 with Barb DiGiulio to answer callers’ questions
regarding plastic surgery.
The segment was nearly an hour long and was jammed with interesting
information—they talked about if a person can be too young for plastic surgery,
advice on how to pick the right surgeon, and provided answers to questions
about different surgical and non-surgical procedures. Dr. Mulholland also
shared that when he first opened SpaMedica in 1996, he only saw two men for
treatments that whole year. Now men make up 20% of the clientele. “Men are
extremely vein and we just don’t about it,” he says.
Below are just a few tidbits of what Dr. Mulholland, the host
and callers discussed that night. You can also listen to the full show here.
Kelly, the first caller of the night, mentioned she had been
researching on how to reduce the bags under her eyes. She says she’s aged
prematurely because of many difficult life events that have happened over the
years. Her main concern was how long recovery time would be after blepharoplasty.
Dr. Mulholland of SpaMedica in Toronto
Dr. Mulholland: Non-surgical options like soft tissue
fillers and some laser treatments can help reduce the appearance of eye bags.
Get these treatments done on a Friday afternoon and you can return back to work
on Monday looking much more rested.
For more permanent results, consider having a lower lid
blepharoplasty. It removes the fat pads under the eyes and tightens the skin
around it. Bruising will occur, so having 7 days off from work to
recover would be suggested.
Would I be okay to do
bending or lifting at work after surgery?
Dr. Mulholland: In the first 3-4 days, there are
some delicate blood vessels that are sealed. If you bend over and strain, it
raises the blood pressure around your eyes which could cause some bleeding.
Generally, as long as you’re not a world-class bodybuilding who deadlifts 180
pounds, you can carry office space boxes within a few days.
Source: SpaMedica. This patient had lower lid blepharoplasty to remove the fat pads under her eyes.
How much would lower
lid blepharoplasty cost?
Dr. Mulholland: There’s a range in the city and in
the country. In general, two lids—whether it’s two upper lids or two lower lids—is
going to start at about $2,500.00 and might go as high as $6,000.00 depending
on how aged that lower lid is and the practice in the city.
Let’s say you do the upper and lower lid combination, it’s
called a quad bleph or four lid blepharoplasty. That’s usually in the $4,000.00
to $8,000.00 range depending on the practice in the city.
Another caller asked about scarring after surgery as a person
of colour.
Are there usually any
scars that are seen after any kind of plastic surgery for people of colour?
Dr. Mulholland: Dark skin individuals are prone to
pigmentation disorder like brown discolouration and scars that are usually much
darker than their surrounding skin. Whether it’s breast augmentation, a
facelift, liposuction or a tummy tuck, things need to be hidden extremely well
when you have darker skin that you know is not going to heal favourably.
Caucasian skin is often prone to scars that are red and
raised. Attention to placement is one of the tricks of plastic surgery school. One
of the first steps to plastic surgery is deciding with your plastic surgeon what
procedure, approach and incision is going to work best for you.
Thinking
about surgery seriously? Dr. Mulholland shared advice on how to start research.
What is the process somebody goes
through if they want to do a consultation with you?
Dr. Mulholland: The first step is to start your research online.
Make some searches on Google on who you should see and then
pick three practices. Look on websites like RealSelf or Yelp and see what
people are saying about these physicians and practices.
Go on websites like The College of Physicians and Surgeons of
Ontario and make sure there’s no complaints and the physician’s in good
standing.
Interview the doctors as much as you can since you’re going
to have a history and physical. You want to ask certain questions:
How long you been in practice?
How many of these procedures have you
done?
What complications have
happened?
If a complication happens to
me, how is it managed?
Make sure there are good before and after photos. Make sure you can talk to patients. At the
end of the day, you just got to feel right.
You should have a good sense that this is the right physician and team
for you.
Kylie Jenner
has made headlines for months because of her notably larger lips. She’s
recently admitted that she had lip injections to plump them up (after repeatedly
denying it). The host asked Dr. Mulholland what he thought about teenagers and
plastic surgery.
We’re seeing a lot of stuff happening
with teenagers, how young is too young?
Dr. Mulholland: Every plastic surgeon would have a
different answer to that, but as a father of six children, it’s tough enough to
be a teenager and come to terms with your sense of self without complicating it
with cosmetic surgery and without succumbing to peer pressure and paradigms of
beauty.
It can be quite unhealthy so I’m a big believer that you
should be a voting adult and that you should be at least 19 before considering
plastic surgery. You should have carefully thought these things out and it
shouldn't be a spontaneous decision.
Now, having said that, there are always exceptions to the rule. If you’re a young woman and you have a
pathological condition like Poland Syndrome (where you don’t form a breast on one
side and you do on the other) It’s really a hereditary congenital abnormality,
so that might be a situation of circumstance where you might consider it.
Or maybe you’ve had trauma and you broke your nose or you
were born with an extremely large bump and it is way outside the spectrum of
what would be considered normal variant, you might consider those extreme
circumstances. But I think as a rule, it’s a bad idea to mix teenagers and
cosmetic surgery.
Do you get told that you look tired more often than you
like? Blame it on the lack of sleep or long work days. But even if you do get a
full eight hours of sleep and you still look far from refreshed, maybe it’s
because of your eye bags.
Why do some people have
eye bags?
Eye bags are the puffy and sometimes dark pads underneath
your eyes. While eye bags can be a temporary issue that goes away after a solid
night of sleep, some people have permanent eye bags. Genetics and ageing are
the main factors of this cosmetic problem.
When you age, the bone and fat of your face lose volume
which all contributes to making you look older. Lower eyelid bags are actually fat
and they don’t shrink or enlarge when you age. When you lose those supporting
structures and tissue volume in your face, that’s when your eye bags stand out
more.
Other causes of eye bags
Stress
Allergies
A poor diet with high sodium intake
Dehydration
Lack of sleep
Some creams and anti-aging serums can benefit the skin around
your eyes—if you choose the right one and use it for a long period of time. The
skin around the eyes is the thinnest layer on our bodies, so it’s considered a
highly sensitive area that’s prone to accelerated ageing. It’s best to start
your eye skincare regime early (such as in your 20s and 30s) as a preventative measure.
Don’t have enough patience to wait around to see results? Then
consider soft tissue fillers or surgery such as blepharoplasty. Soft tissue
fillers like Restylane add volume to facial tissue to correct wrinkles and loss
of volume. Restylane plumps the area around your lower lids to banish the
appearance of eye bags. This treatment takes only 15-45 minutes to complete
depending on where the filler is injected and how much is required. Results can
last from 6 to 9 months.
Source: SpaMedica. Before and after photos of a patient who had blepharoplasty to remove her eye bags.
A permanent solution to treating eye bags is blepharoplasty,
also known as eyelid surgery. Your plastic surgeon makes incisions below your
lash line and then removes the excess fat and skin. This technique leaves you
with no visible scars. After your surgery, the sutures are removed within 4-6
days. You’ll experience some swelling but that goes down gradually and can be
covered up with makeup. You can see the final results within a few weeks.
So, you’ve got surgical and non-surgical options to treat
your eye bags. Getting rid of your eye bags won’t only make you look years
younger, you also won’t be asked if you had any sleep the night before.
Losing weight is a tough feat that requires a lot of
discipline, but what if you’re looking to lose fat in specific areas like your arms
or neck? This is called targeted exercise or spot reduction—but according to
science, it doesn’t work. You can’t choose specific areas like your chin to
shed your fat. Factors like genetics determine where you’ll see weight loss on
your body. So unfortunately, those obscure chin exercises like tilting your
head up and down won’t help in getting rid of a double chin.
Intense workouts that help you shed body fat overall helps, but
sometimes it doesn’t help in specific areas of the body and face. Below are
some areas where fat builds up, but can’t always be reduced through exercise.
Source: SpaMedica. Before and after photos of a patient who had BodyTite liposuction to her neck and chin.
Chin
Ever had someone take an unflattering picture of you from a lower
angle? It’s a pretty easy way to make you look like you have a double chin.
Looking like you have a double chin in photos might suck,
but what if your double chin is just something you’ve always dealt with?
Sometimes a double chin is related to carrying excess weight, but it can also
be hereditary. If you see that a few of your family members also have double
chins, chances are that it’s in the family.
Age is also another factor in having a double chin. As we get older, our
skin and muscles loosen. When the muscles around the chin and neck loosen over
time, the chin and neck lines aren’t as defined anymore.
What to do about
double chins:Neck liposuction helps define your chin and neck area. Newer
liposuction techniques like SmartLipo, BodyTite or VaserLipo reduces the amount
of fat under your chin and tightens your skin all at once.
“These procedures are performed under local anaesthesia with
light oral sedation and a very small incision under the chin. These various
techniques use laser energy, ultrasound energy or radiofrequency electrical
current to liquefy the fat internally and create some heat. It stimulates skin
and dermal contraction,” says Toronto plastic surgeon Dr. Mulholland.
Source: SpaMedica. Before and after photos of a patient who had blepharoplasty.
Under Your Eyes
Spot reduction sounds like it can work (it doesn’t), but there’s
no way you’re going to get rid of the fat under your eyes through targeted eye
massages and exercises. Fat under the eyes can make someone look older or more tired
than they actually are. This thought isn’t the same in all cultures—this article reports that people in
South Korea have sought surgery to make their under-eye skin plumper.
This trend
called “aegyo sal” (it translates to eye smiles or cute skin) is believed to make
a person look more attractive and youthful in Korea. That’s not quite the case in North America. People go through eye creams
and procedures to reduce the fat or puffiness under their eyes.
What you can do about
fat under your eyes: Blepharoplasty, also known as eyelid
surgery, can reduce the fat under your eyes. Incisions are made below the lash
line for the lower lids and then excess fat and skin are removed. “If excess
fat is only present in the lower lids, it may be removed through an incision
inside the lower lids conjunctivum with no external incision or scar,” says Dr.
Mulholland.
Source: SpaMedica. Before and after photos of a patient who had male breast reduction
Male breasts
Gynecomastia, also known as male breasts or “moobs”, is a
condition where a man has excessive amounts of fat in the breasts. This happens
due to different things like diet, environmental or hereditary factors. This
swelling and enlargement of the breasts can be seen in newborn males, boys and
older men. While this condition subsides for some boys, about 8% of boys continue
to face this condition. Gyneocomastia isn’t life-threatening, but it can
negatively affect a boy or man’s self-esteem.
What to do about male
breasts: If losing weight doesn’t help, male breast reduction is a solution to
gynecomastia. During this procedure, energy-assisted liposuction techniques like SmartLipo and
VaserLipo can be used to reduce the size of male breasts for a flatter, more masculine
looking chest.
Working out is great, no doubt. But sometimes, exercise just
won’t cut it when you’re looking to cut the fat in certain body areas. Leave a comment
here or book an appointment online if you have any questions regarding these
procedures.
